DPH Measles investigation identifies potential public exposures

ATLANTA ― As part of the ongoing investigation into the current measles case in Macon County, the Georgia Department of Public Health has determined that the individual visited a restaurant in Houston County while infectious. Anyone at the following location during the listed time may have been exposed:

 

Longhorn Steakhouse

100 Hampton Court

Perry, Georgia 31069

October 7, 2026, Exposure window: 7-10 p.m.

DPH urges anyone who was at the restaurant during this time to check their vaccination status and watch for measles symptoms. People without immunity through vaccination or previous measles infection should monitor for symptoms through October 28.

Measles symptoms typically appear 7–14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes, followed by a red rash that begins on the head and spreads to the rest of the body.

Anyone with measles symptoms should contact their healthcare provider immediately. DO NOT go to a doctor’s office, hospital, or public health clinic without calling ahead to report your symptoms. Healthcare providers who suspect measles should notify public health immediately.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is the best protection against measles.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two MMR vaccine doses for children: the first at 12–15 months and the second at 4–6 years. Adults born in 1957 or later need at least one dose unless they have documented vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, or laboratory-confirmed measles.

Contact your healthcare provider with vaccination questions.

For more information about measles, log on to https://dph.georgia.gov/measles-georgia

or https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html.